La Paz, Bolivia

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Ahhhh, La Paz - How I adored you... You charmed my heart, gave me a thrill (or two), and you were awfully cheap. No, this is not me wooing an unsuspecting Latina, I'm writing about the highest capital in the world, La Paz (literally Peace), Bolivia!

I had a wonderful time in La Paz, and it was a great way to end my trip. Things are pretty cheap here in La Paz, even cheaper than Peru. Many of my lunches were scarcely over a dollar, and I paid about 5 dollars a night for decent housing. It's a beautiful city nestled in a wide valley and has a certain natural charm that most big cities lack. As an American, it would be very easy to live well in La Paz. Thus if I ever decide to spend an extended period time in South America, I would definitely consider La Paz as an option as I could live in the most expensive part of the city.

The streets are filled with markets and street vendors, selling everything from pencils and watches to empanadas and fresh squeezed orange juice. I was excited to visit La Paz's "Witch's Market," purported to offer an array of charms, weird objects, and things to pursue my interests in witchcraft. I told my girlfriend I was going to buy her a shrunken head, regardless of how ardently she objected to the idea. Though I did not find any shrunken heads, I certainly found other things that she would find just as objectionable.

Mid-day we found a protest in progress. We followed it for some blocks trying to decipher their chants and asking people what the issue at hand was. The protest continued to escalate as more people joined and they continued to organize. Eventually the police showed up and then things got a little crazy. They immediately start shooting teargas in every direction. I ran across a mother (one of a countless number who earn their bread by selling knick-knacks on the street) and her 2 children a little overcome by the teargas. I was able to help them get out of the area and it was one of the most powerful experiences of the entire trip. Soon after, I ran back into the foray (sorry Mom, I couldn't resist!) and got some great footage. The whole experience reminded me how sheltered my life has been these past 21 years. My childhood for the most part has been extremely comfortable and it was refreshing to learn that crazy shit does go down in this world.

The next day we mountain biked down the "Road of Death," the MOST DANGEROUS ROAD IN THE WORLD. (caps added for emphasis). It was fun, beautiful, and don't worry Mom, not that dangerous.

I combined all the footage into one to make things easy - it's great footage make sure you check it out!


VIDEO - La Paz!

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Photos

Downtown La Paz
La Paz is very charming at night. Oh how easily I fall in love...

The Witch's Market
These are llama fetuses, just one of the things you can buy at the witch's market.

Five-Oh!
I was scared they were going to take my camera and smash it so I took this one in the D/L!

Protest
Apparently, the marchers were demanding the resignation of the superintendant of the banks or finance (government official).

The Road of Death
This is the start of the biking trip down the Road of Death. We descended more than 9000 feet.

Road of Death III
The road is terribly narrow and follows a steep precipice the whole time. There are countless crosses and memorials down the road.

Road of Death IV
Can you see me?